After a brief discussion, the party elects to head for the outer yards and deal with the hell hounds that are supposed to be there rather than the archers and sphinxes that are stationed on the battlements. Ironically, though, their first move is still to go upwards as the outer yards are closer in, and thus higher on the mountain than the gates.

Using the stairs outside the chamberlain's area, the party proceeds with caution, using Fugen's lamp to light their way while Nimdor and Kierna scout ahead in the near total darkness (Kierna providing eyes where Nimdor can't see, and Nimdor providing the know-how for sneaking about inside a building).

__________________
Physics is like sex. Sometimes it yields practical results, but that's not why we do it.
-Richard Feynman

They trek through the dark tower, their path well-lit by the lantern. They move at a crawling pace to avoid noise. They wind their way through the labyrinth of staircases and hallways. Eventually their course re-joins the main route that leads from the Northern outer gate up to the outer yards. Fugen and Takeshi have been this way before.

The broad hallway ends in a stout double door. They are frustrated to see that it is closed. This door was designed to withstand an invading siege army. Upon closer inspection, they are surprised to see that it is not locked. It requires some effort to push open the massive iron-bound doors, and there is no way to do it with complete silence.

Kierna and Nimdor step in as Fugen raises his lantern. The arc of light fills the interior of the chamber, a three-way junction between the Northern Gate Tower, the Work Yard, and the Outer Gardens.

Two hell-houds are visible, one by each of the other doors. They were curled up to rest, but their heads are now raised, looking straight at the intruders.

Though he is furthest to the rear, Takeshi has amazingly sharp ears. As the hellhounds rouse themselves, he hears more breaths and rustling than just those two. He suspects there is another that can’t be seen, somewhere.

OOC
Fugen, Gizerak, Flarrgj, and Takeshi can act before the hellhounds in round 1. The rest must wait for the next installment.

The issue of Kierna and Nimdor aiding each other doesn’t apply in this case, since the door opening makes stealth moot and both are in plain sight. Since they are taking turns aiding each other, it cuts speed in half again, reducing their effective speed to 5. (20 normally, divided by two for stealth, divided by 2 again for taking turns)

"Stay sharp, either those are the two noisiest dogs I've ever heard, or there is another one somewhere in there."

Trying to follow his own advice, he urges Daisuke forward slowly and gazes around while he pulls out his sling and a bullet for it. With all the force that his small body can muster, he hurls the bullet at a hell hound.

Assessing the way the lantern illuminates the yard in front of him, catching both of the hell hounds, Fugen realizes that if he moves it, he will have to take it's light off of one of the hell hounds. So, instead, he sets it down and then steps forward to provide a defense in front of the softer characters.

May the gods guard me better this time than against the ettins.

Kierna, meanwhile, wastes no time in letting fly with a couple of arrows into the first hell hound she has a clear shot at.

"Don't stay too close together," Termix shouts as he moves forward and catches sight of the hell hounds, "the hounds can breath fire in a small area. Try to stay some what spread out so that they can't catch you. He then casts a simple spell to bring a bit more flexible lighting onto the situation.

Moving just far enough forward to catch sight of the hell hounds himself, Gizerak realizes that they are too far yet for the spell he would prefer to cast, and so settles for summoning the power of the royals into a more direct form.

[OOC: Fugen puts down the lantern so that the light cone remains where it is (MEA). He then steps forward and goes on full defense.

Kierna shoots 2 arrows at hell hound 1. If said hell hound has cover, 5' step to the left first. If it doesn't, 5' step back after shooting.

Termix moves to where Fugen was and casts dancing lights to create 4 lanterns. He positions them at their maximum spread between the far two pillars. If Termix has some kind of ranged weapon, he should draw it as he moves forward.

Gizerak moves up next to Termix (in Flarrgj's spot if he has moved, or on the other side if he hasn't) and casts spiritual weapon directing it to attack the hell hound he has line of sight to (2 if in the former position, 1 if the later).]

__________________
Physics is like sex. Sometimes it yields practical results, but that's not why we do it.
-Richard Feynman

Fugen moves forward, and Gizerak and Takeshi injure the hellbounds with their attacks.

Stung, both of the infernal beasts rise and dodge for cover behind the pillars. The hellhound by the western gate can be seen peeking around the corner. The hellhound that was by the eastern gate is now completely hidden behind the opposite column.

OOC
This installment covered the actions of those moving before the hellhounds and the hellhounds in round 1. Now all characters can post actions for the end of round 1, start of round 2.

Nimdor, Termix, and Kierna actions disregarded since they did not have initiative before the hellhounds.

Termix casts his spell, and four lights appear close together in the center of the room, dispelling some of the shadows. The four corners of the room remain in darkness, shaded by the massive columns.

Takeshi dismounts, not as gracefully as he had hoped.
Kierna puts two arrows into one of the hellhounds, wounding it. It leaps out and meets Daisuke as the rodents advances towards it. The hellhound fails to sink its’ fangs into the druid’s companion.

Nimdor retreats and reloads. Gizerak prepares his prayer. Flarrgj draws back his sword and prepares to strike any approaching hellhound.

The other hellhound scurries from around its cover and advances towards the front rank, intending to stop beyond reach and breath fire. Fugen was prepared and leaps forward to meet the hellhound, kicking it in the head. He dodges the cone of fire it breaths, but Flarrgj is not as lucky and gets burned.

Recalling Takeshi's warning about the possibility of a third hell hound, Fugen moves quickly across the room to check behind the far columns.

The others, meanwhile, venture forward a bit more cautiously.

[OOC: Fugen double moves to 1530N/1005E.
Kierna moves to 1560N/995E and readies an action to attack any enemy that comes into view.
Gizerak moves to 1595N/1000E and readies an action to redirect the spiritual weapon at any enemy that comes into view.
Termix picks up the bull's eye lantern, moves to 1595N/1005E and turns the lantern so that it illuminates the upper left corner of the room. He also shifts the dancing lights 20 ft to the right.]

__________________
Physics is like sex. Sometimes it yields practical results, but that's not why we do it.
-Richard Feynman

Takeshi moves to rejoin his mount, and listens carefully for the other hellhound. He can still hear him, somewhere across the room. The hellhound is too far for Daisuke to be alerted to his scent. They have just begun a search...

Meanwhile, Termix has picked up the lantern and panned it around, and also manipulated his dancing lights to go further towards the opposite corner. Between the lantern and lights, he is able to penetrate the darkness in every corner of the room.

Fugen ventures deeper into the room, and triggers an ambush by another hellhound that was hiding behind one of the large pillars. As it charges for Termix, it is transfixed by an arrow from Kierna, bashed with the magical weapon force of Gizerak, and then Fugen delivers an axe kick to the hellhound’s head. It is knocked almost senseless. The hellhound seems dazed by the blows.

With the last hell hound defeated, Fugen takes his lantern back from Termix and the two of them split up their light sources (Fugen with his lantern, Termix with his dancing lights) in order to search through the small yard.

Gizerak, dismisses his spiritual hammer and joins in the search.

Kierna, on the other hand, focuses more on the two closed doors than the room itself and carefully listens at each for what might be on the other side of each.

__________________
Physics is like sex. Sometimes it yields practical results, but that's not why we do it.
-Richard Feynman

Shaking his head, Fugen disagrees with Nimdor. The party's main reason for stealth was to avoid bringing down all the guardians of the palace on their head at once and thus far they had been completely successful at that.

Second, the information their prisoner had given them indicated that most of the living guardians slept during the night. Chances were that no one would discover the "missing" ettins until the morning and maybe not even then. The party didn't know how often the different guardians were in communication with each other and hadn't thought to ask their prisoner, but if there wasn't a practice of checking of the positions each morning, then the "missing" ettins could go undiscovered for quite some time.

__________________
Physics is like sex. Sometimes it yields practical results, but that's not why we do it.
-Richard Feynman